Filing cabinet



Nov. 26, 1957 1. R. CORNISH 2,814,544

F'iLING CABINET Original Filed Dec. 26, 1951 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE X 1956. Divided and this application December 6, 1955, Serial No. 551,471

4 Claims. (Cl: 312-471):

Modern large-scale businesses and governmental agencies, which require extensive and comparatively expensive personnel work-areas, are increasingly confronted with the necessity of economizing-spaoe for filing cabinets, without sacrificing the facility of' their use. To this end recent attempts have been made to provide a substitute for the conventional, horizontal-sliding container stack; a substitute which would commend itself not only because it saved floor and cubic space butbecause it would afford greater facility in use. However, such structures, as heretofore produced and as have a'p'resent' measure of acceptance, have possessed some disadvantage'snot encountered in the conventional, horizontal slid'ingcontainer stack. These disadvantages have limited the appeal of these prior substitutes.

The main objects of this-invention, therefore, are to provide an improved formof filing cabinet wherein the container moves horizontally" out of and into a receded or content-storage position in a supporting casing; to provide an improved filing cabinet of this kind wherein the opening and'closing of'a swinging casing closure panel respectively effects the opposite horizontal movements of the file container and its contents with respect to the casing; to provide so improved a relative arrangement of a swinging closure panel and horizontally sliding container as to occupy the minimum flbor'and cubic space; and to provide an improved filing cabinet of this. kind which is so simple in construction as to'make'it's' manufacture extremely economical and-its use facile and practically free ofthe necessity for repairs andYor replace;- ments.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly sectional, of a single unit of a multi-unit filing cabinet constructed in accordance with this invention, the container and closure panel being shown in their respectively'receded and closed positions;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the container and panel in their respectively advanced and retracted positions;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional. detail taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l and showingthe retractable latch means for normally retaining the container in its receded position;

Fig.- 4 is an exploded, perspective view of the container and its supporting tray; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged, fragmentary, sectional detail views showing a latching meansfor the panel in its open and closed positions.

The essential concept of this invention: involves a container with an open side and top topermit a: placing and removal of the files therein. sidewisely transverse to its longitudinal dimension, the container being'mounted in an open front casing for horizontal" shifiti-ng under the action of an oppositely swing'able' panel which constitutes a closure for the casing open front, whereby the container is moved into and out of an access, position for- Wardly of the casing to render the ends of thejfile; folders nited States PatentO 2,814,544 Patented Nov. 26, 1957 2. and theguide cardsvisible for. examination and accessible for horizontal or sidewise removal and insertion.

A: filing cabinet embodying this concept comprises, a supporting: housing or casing A wherein is arranged a container B, or several containers in one or more tiers, with a closure panel C for each container compartment, and panel-controlled container-actuating mechanism D interposed between each container and panel. The herein-shown several ports are preferably made of metal. However, it will be understood: that they could be made of other materials; certainly of wood and perhaps of plastic. Although, the figures show only a single container B in relation to a casing A, it will be understood that the containers may be arranged in horizontally-ex tending tiers two, three, four, five, or more containers high.

The casing A comprises-the usual sides, back, base, top, and partial frontof which only the back 25 and partial front 31 are indicated in the drawings. These several parts are suitably assembled and secured together to provide one or more open-front container compartments 29. Obviously, where the casing A tiers several containers B there would be various cross braces and compartment dividers.

The container" B is formed with a bottom member 32" and a back member 33 secured'together at right angles by a pair of ends 34. The bottom member 32, in width, is substantially equal to the front-to-back dimension of thecontainer compartment 29; In length the container B-is slightly less than the inside dimension of the compartment 29 between the casing ends. The container back 33" and the ends 34' extend up from the bottom 32 more than a major portion of the vertical dimension of the herein designated container compartment 29 of the casing A.

The container B, here is shown set on a tray 44 which allows for an easy removal of the container and its contents from the casing A. Such a tray 44, of course, is not essential. It could be' omitted as is the case with other adaptations of a panel-actuated container shown in copending application Ser. No. 551,472 and Patent No. 2,745,708. Where the tray is used, the container is retained in place on the tray 44 by the seating of a slat 93, on the bottom of the container, in a longitudinal slot 92 on the tray 44. Guide plates. 94 may be secured near the forward corners of the tray 44 to further insure a proper positioning of the container B on the tray44.

Obviously, the container B will be equipped'with means for supporting a suitable follower and appropriate indexing guide cards.

The support for the container'B,.to permit its horizontal shifting, includes suitably-arranged parts of rollers 42 journaled at the ends of the container. 3 and the casing A. These' rollers here are shown fixed to the casing A and the container-tray base travels onthem, The rollers could be'fixedtothe container B (or tray 44) and travel on tracks (not shown) on the casing A, or they might be part. of a carriage with the rollers travelling, on conventionally-arranged tracks, as circumstances may dictate.

The panel C isdesig'ned to serve the dual function of a closure'for the open'front of the container compartment 29', thereby concealing and protecting the contents of the container, and of a force receiving element-for causing the actuating-mechanism D" to effect the fore-and-aft horizontal shifting of the container B, between its receded or.storage position and itsv forwardly-extended or access position.

As' herein shown, for the panel-C45. the sector-shaped ends- 47 suspend a panel are the chord of whichii's, substantially equal to the heightj'o f the openfront' of the compartment 29. The pivot 48', on. which the panel is hinged to the casing A is slightly inward from the junction of the radii which define the sides of the sectorshaped, panel-supporting ends 47.

In order to releasably secure the panel C in either its closed or open position, it is essential to provide some kind of latch. A type which would be quite suitable for this purpose is herein shown (see Figs. 5 and 6) as comprising a knob 61 enclosing an axially shiftable bolt 62 mounting on its inner end a resilient member 63. This member 63 has cam shoulders 64 and 65 at the opposite ends thereof which are adapted to engage the respective shoulders 66 and 67 on the casing A adjacent the lower and upper defining edges of the container opening 29. A spring 68 biases the bolt 62 and the member 63 to maintain the shoulders 64 and 65 in position to engage the shoulders 66 and 67 depending upon the position of the panel C.

The panel-controlled container-actuating mechanism D, as herein shown is a gear-rack adaptation of the leverpocket arrangement shown in application Serial 263,299, filed December 26, 1951 now Patent No. 2,745,708 and of which this is a divisional application. In this connection it should be noted that the horizontal movement of the container B needs to be only enough to extend the advancing edge a sufficient distance forwardly of the front of the casing A to expose the index guide labels and the folder notations to easy view and make convenient the removal or insertion of the files or folders. A movement of three or four inches has been found sufiiciently practical. Moreover, that movement has to be effected when the panel C is sutficiently retracted within the casing A to avoid contact of the panel with the container contents. Obviously, that will be when the movement of the panel C is adjacent its fully-retracted position. Accordingly, there has to be What properly might be called a delayed action of the panel-controlled container-actuating mechanism '3.

The herein shown gear-rack. actuating mechanism D comprises a sector-shaped gear 84- and a rack segment 85. The gear-sector 04 is formed on the end of an extension 73 of one or both of the panel-support sectors 47. The gear sector 34 is diametrically opposed substantially medially of the panel C.

The rack-segment 85 is fixed to one or both ends of the container B so that it (or they) meshes or demeshes with the gear sector 84 as the panel C respectively approaches or recedes from its fully-retracted position. In order to insure the effective meshing of the sector 84 and segment 85, to initiate the forward shifting of the container B, the foremost tooth 86 of the rack 85 is elongated slightly to form a shoulder to be contacted by the advancing edge of the gear sector 84.

in order to insure against any accidental horizontal movement of the container B, before the rearwardly swinging panel C reaches a position to bring the gear sector 84 and rack segment 85 into operative relationship, a latch 87 is arranged at one end of each container B. As herein shown, this latch is in the form of a flat spring secured at its lower end to the casing A and normally biased to dis pose a lug or shoulder 88, on the upper end of the spring, in a depression in the gear rack 85 or in some other suitably adjacent portion of the container B. The forward edge of the gear sector 84 is formed with a cam 89 to contact the upper end of the spring latch 87 and retract the lug 88 from the depression slightly in advance of the operative engagement of the gear sector 84 with the elongated tooth 86 on the gear rack 85. As the gear sector 84 recedes from such operative engagement with the gear rack 85 the cam 89 releases the spring latch 87 so that the lug 88 is seated in the depression, and the container B is again locked in its retracted storage position.

To facilitate lifting the container B and its contents bodily out of the casing A hand-grip openings 91 are formed in the ends 34 of the container B.

The operation of this improved type of filing cabinet is more or less apparent from the foregoing description,

4 hence the following explanation can be comparatively brief.

Swinging the panel C from its vertically-disposed compartment-closing position, at the front of the casing A, into its upwardly retracted position within the casing A, results in the forward horizontal shifting of the container B to advance its forward edge and its contents several inches beyond the front face of the casing A. This forward movement of the container B occurs as the panel C approaches the limit of its fully-retracted position, when the gear sector 84 meshes with the rack segment 85, with the concurrent retraction of the spring latch 97.

Advanced thus forwardly of the casing front, the notations on the guide cards and on the folders are visible for the entire length of the container B. This is so not only for one container when so advanced, but simultaneously for all the advanced containers of the stack thereof. This is a material advantage over the conventional form of pull-drawer filing cabinet where all of the contents of only one drawer at a time can be exposed to view and access, and then only when the drawer is pulled out to its full limit. Moreover, the container B being horizontally movable into and out of its advance, content-accessible position has an advantage over the tilting type container, in that the contents or the folders are not disturbed or disarranged when the container is shifting into storage position.

When access to the container is no longer desired, the panel C is pulled outwardly and downwardly into its vertically disposed position to serve as a closure for the open front of the container compartment 29, thereby concealing and protecting the container contents. As the movement of the panel C, from its retracted position, is initiated the gear and rack mechanism 84-85 effects a quick recession of the container B into the casing A and out of the path of the panel C.

I claim:

1. A filing cabinet comprising, an open front casing, a container mounted for opposite horizontal movement in the casing between receded and advanced positions with respect to the casing open front, a panel swingably mounted on the casing on an axis above the base and intermediate its front and back for movement between a position for closing the casing open front and a retracted position within the casing, and intermittently-meshing and demeshing gear-rack segment and gear sector for effecting the opposite horizontal movements of the container between its receded and advance positions, the gear rack segment being secured to the container, the gear sector being radially opposed to the panel on the opposite side of the panel axis and connected to swing with the panel to move into and out of meshing engagement with the gear rack segment only during the swinging movement of the panel adjacent its fully-retracted position, whereby the opposite horizontal movements of the container are effected by the panel only as the panel moves into and out of its fully-retracted position.

2. A filing cabinet comprising, an open front casing, a container mounted for opposite horizontal movement in the casing between receded and advanced positions with respect to the casing open front, a panel swingably mount ed on the casing on an axis above the base and intermediate its front and back for movement between a position for closing the casing open front and a retracted position within the casing, intermittently-meshing and dcmeshing gear rack segment and gear sector for effecting the opposite horizontal movements of the container between its receded and advance positions, the gear rack segment being secured to the container, the gear sector being radially opposed to the panel on the opposite side of the panel axis and connected to swing with the panel to move into and out of meshing engagement with the gear rack segment only during the swinging movement of the panel adjacent its fully-retracted position, whereby the opposite horizontal movements of the container are effected by the panel only as the panel moves into and out of its fully-retracted position, and a shoulder on the forward end of the rack segment disposed to be engaged by the advancing edge of the gear sector to initiate the forward movement of the container and insure effective meshing of the gear sector with the gear rack segment.

3. A filing cabinet comprising, an open front casing, a container mounted for opposite horizontal movement in the casing between receded and advanced positions with respect to the casing open front, a panel swingably mounted on the casing on an axis above the base and intermediate its front and back for movement between a position for closing the casing open front and a retracted position within the casing, intermittently-meshing and demeshing gear-rack segment and gear sector for effecting the opposite horizontal movements of the container between its receded and advance positions, the gear-rack segment being secured to the container, the gear sector being radially opposed to the panel on the opposite side of the panel axis and connected to swing with the panel to move into and out of meshing engagement with the gear-rack segment only during the swinging movement of the panel adjacent its fully-retracted position, whereby the opposite horizontal movements of the container are effected by the panel only as the panel moves into and out of its fullyretracted position, latch means on the casing biased to engage the container in its receded position and secure it against accidental forward movement when the gear sector and segment are out of engagement, and a cam on the gear sector adapted to engage and retract the latch means in advance of the meshing of the gear sector with the gear rack segment.

4. A filing cabinet comprising, an open front casing, a container mounted for opposite horizontal movement in the casing between receded and advanced positions with respect to the casing open front, a panel swingably mounted on the casing on an axis above the base and intermediate its front and back for movement between a position for closing the casing open front and a retracted position within the casing, intermittently-meshing and demeshing gear-rack segment and gear sector for effecting the opposite horizontal movements of the container between its receded and advance positions, the gear-rack segment being secured to the container, the gear sector being radially opposed to the panel on the opposite side of the panel axis and connected to swing with the panel to move into and out of meshing engagement with the gearrack segment only during the swinging movement of the panel adjacent its fully-retracted position, whereby the opposite horizontal movements of the container are effected by the panel only as the panel moves into and out of its fully-retracted position, a shoulder on the forward end of the rack segment disposed to be engaged by the advance edge of the gear sector to initiate the forward movement of the container and the effective meshing of the gear sector with the gear rack segment, latch means on the casing biased to engage the container in its receded position and secure it against accidental forward movement when the gear sector and segment are out of engagement, and a cam on the gear sector adapted to engage and retract the latch means in advance of the contact of the gear sector with the shoulder.

Williams Mar. 12, 1895 Mowitz Ian. 19, 1915 

